Chronic radiation proctitis refractory to steroid enema was successfully treated by metformin and sodium butyrate: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Radiation proctitis (RP) is a significant complication of pelvic radiation. Effective treatments for chronic RP are currently lacking. We report a case where chronic RP was successfully managed by metformin and butyrate (M-B) enema and suppository therapy. CASE PRESENTATION: A 70-year-old Asian male was diagnosed with prostate cancer of bilateral lobes, underwent definitive radiotherapy to the prostate of 76 Gy in 38 fractions and six months of androgen deprivation therapy. Despite a stable PSA nadir of 0.2 ng/mL for 10 months post-radiotherapy, he developed intermittent rectal bleeding, and was diagnosed as chronic RP. Symptoms persisted despite two months of oral mesalamine, mesalamine enema and hydrocortisone enema treatment. Transition to daily 2% metformin and butyrate (M-B) enema for one week led to significant improvement, followed by maintenance therapy with daily 2.0% M-B suppository for three weeks, resulting in continued reduction of rectal bleeding. Endoscopic examination and biopsy demonstrated a good therapeutic effect. CONCLUSIONS: M-B enema and suppository may be an effective treatment for chronic RP.

Efficacy of ferric carboxymaltose on haemoglobin response among older patients with gastrointestinal bleeding: a randomised clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Acute gastrointestinal bleeding (AGIB) is common in older patients but the use of iron in this context remains understudied. AIMS: This study aimed to evaluate prospectively the efficacy of ferric carboxymaltose to treat anaemia in older patients after AGIB. METHODS: This randomised double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted in 10 French centres. Eligible patients were 65 years or more, had controlled upper or lower gastrointestinal bleeding and a haemoglobin level of 9-11 g/dl. Patients were randomly assigned, in a 1:1 ratio, to receive either one intravenous iron injection of ferric carboxymaltose or one injection of saline solution. The primary endpoint was the difference in haemoglobin level between day 0 and day 42. Secondary endpoints were treatment-emergent adverse events, serious adverse events, rehospitalisation and improvement of quality of life (QOL) at day 180. RESULTS: From January 2013 to January 2017, 59 patients were included. The median age of patients was 81.9 [75.8, 87.3] years. At day 42, a significant difference in haemoglobin level increase was observed (2.49 g/dl in the ferric carboxymaltose group vs. 1.56 g/dl in the placebo group, P = 0.02). At day 180, QOL, measured on European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30, improved by 10.5 points in the ferric carboxymaltose group and by 8.2 points in the placebo group (P = 0.56). Rates of adverse events and rehospitalisation were similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous iron seems safe and effective to treat anaemia in older patients after AGIB and should be considered as a standard-of-care treatment. ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01690585).

Patterns of Comorbidities and Prescribing and Dispensing of Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) Among Patients with Osteoarthritis in the USA: Real-World Study.

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a major cause of chronic pain. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are analgesics commonly used for musculoskeletal pain; however, NSAIDs can increase the risk of certain adverse events, such as gastrointestinal bleeding, edema, heart failure, and hypertension. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to characterize existing comorbidities among patients with OA. For patients with OA with and without a coexisting medical condition of interest (CMCOI), we estimated the prevalence of prescribing and dispensing NSAIDs pre-OA and post-OA diagnosis. METHODS: Data from three large administrative claims databases were used to construct an OA retrospective cohort. Databases leveraged were IBM MarketScan Medicare Supplemental Database (MDCR), IBM MarketScan Commercial Database (CCAE), and Optum's de-identified Clinformatics® Data Mart Database (Optum CDM). The OA study population was defined to be those patients who had an OA diagnosis from an inpatient or outpatient visit with at least 365 days of prior observation time in the database during January 2000 through May 2021. Asthma, cardiovascular disorders, renal impairment, and gastrointestinal bleeding risks were the CMCOI of interest. Patients with OA were then classified as having or not having evidence of a CMCOI. For both groups, NSAID dispensing patterns pre-OA and post-OA diagnosis were identified. Descriptive analysis was performed within the Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics framework. RESULTS: In each database, the proportion of the OA population with at least one CMCOI was nearly 50% or more (48.0% CCAE; 74.4% MDCR; 68.6% Optum CDM). Cardiovascular disease was the most commonly observed CMCOI in each database, and in two databases, nearly one in four patients with OA had two or more CMCOI (23.2% MDCR; 22.6% Optum CDM). Among the OA population with CMCOI, NSAID utilization post-OA diagnosis ranged from 33.0 to 46.2%. Following diagnosis of OA, an increase in the prescribing and dispensing of NSAIDs was observed in all databases, regardless of patient CMCOI presence. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides real-world evidence of the pattern of prescribing and dispensing of NSAIDs among patients with OA with and without CMCOI, which indicates that at least half of patients with OA in the USA have a coexisting condition. These conditions may increase the risk of side effects commonly associated with NSAIDs. Yet, at least 32% of these patients were prescribed and dispensed NSAIDs. These data support the importance of shared decision making between healthcare professionals and patients when considering NSAIDs for the treatment of OA in patients with NSAID-relevant coexisting medical conditions.

In small-intestinal angiodysplasia with recurrent bleeding, thalidomide reduced bleeding episodes at 1 y.

SOURCE CITATION: Chen H, Wu S, Tang M, et al. Thalidomide for recurrent bleeding due to small-intestinal angiodysplasia. N Engl J Med. 2023;389:1649-1659. 37913505.

Real-world comparison of terlipressin vs. octreotide as an adjuvant treatment in the management of variceal bleeding.

Variceal bleeding is a major complication and the leading cause of death in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension. This study aims to compare the efficacy and safety of terlipressin vs octreotide as an adjuvant to endoscopic management of patients with esophageal variceal bleeding in a real-time scenario. We reviewed the medical records of patients with esophageal variceal bleeding from January 2005 to December 2020 at our tertiary care Aga Khan University Hospital. Mortality was assessed after 6 weeks. A total of 842 patients with variceal bleed were evaluated. 624 patients (74.1%) and 218 patients (25.9%) received Terlipressin and Octreotide respectively. On multiple regression analysis, cardiac events during hospital stay (OR: 11.22), presence of Porto-systemic encephalopathy (OR: 3.79), and elevated bilirubin levels at the time of presentation were found to be independent risk factors for increased six weeks mortality. Moreover, cardiac events during hospital stay (OR: 3.26), Porto-systemic encephalopathy at presentation (OR: 3.06), and octreotide administration (OR: 1.80) were identified as independent risk factors for increased length of hospital stay. Terlipressin and Octreotide have similar outcomes in terms of control of bleeding, hospital stay, mortality, and side effects when used as adjuvant therapy for the management of variceal bleeding.

Prophylactic corticosteroids for cardiopulmonary bypass in adult cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac surgery triggers a strong inflammatory reaction, which carries significant clinical consequences. Corticosteroids have been suggested as a potential perioperative strategy to reduce inflammation and help prevent postoperative complications. However, the safety and effectiveness of perioperative corticosteroid use in adult cardiac surgery is uncertain. This is an update of the 2011 review with 18 studies added. OBJECTIVES: Primary objective: to estimate the effects of prophylactic corticosteroid use in adults undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass on the: - co-primary endpoints of mortality, myocardial complications, and pulmonary complications; and - secondary outcomes including atrial fibrillation, infection, organ injury, known complications of steroid therapy, prolonged mechanical ventilation, prolonged postoperative stay, and cost-effectiveness. SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: to explore the role of characteristics of the study cohort and specific features of the intervention in determining the treatment effects via a series of prespecified subgroup analyses. SEARCH METHODS: We used standard, extensive Cochrane search methods to identify randomised studies assessing the effect of corticosteroids in adult cardiac surgery. The latest searches were performed on 14 October 2022. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomised controlled trials in adults (over 18 years, either with a diagnosis of coronary artery disease or cardiac valve disease, or who were candidates for cardiac surgery with the use of cardiopulmonary bypass), comparing corticosteroids with no treatments. There were no restrictions with respect to length of the follow-up period. All selected studies qualified for pooling of results for one or more endpoints. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We used standard Cochrane methods. Our primary outcomes were all-cause mortality, and cardiac and pulmonary complications. Secondary outcomes were infectious complications, gastrointestinal bleeding, occurrence of new post-surgery atrial fibrillation, re-thoracotomy for bleeding, neurological complications, renal failure, inotropic support, postoperative bleeding, mechanical ventilation time, length of stays in the intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital, patient quality of life, and cost-effectiveness. We used GRADE to assess the certainty of evidence for each outcome. MAIN RESULTS: This updated review includes 72 randomised trials with 17,282 participants (all 72 trials with 16,962 participants were included in data synthesis). Four trials (6%) were considered at low risk of bias in all the domains. The median age of participants included in the studies was 62.9 years. Study populations consisted mainly (89%) of low-risk, first-time coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or valve surgery. The use of perioperative corticosteroids may result in little to no difference in all-cause mortality (risk with corticosteroids: 25 to 36 per 1000 versus 33 per 1000 with placebo or no treatment; risk ratio (RR) 0.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.75 to 1.07; 25 studies, 14,940 participants; low-certainty evidence). Corticosteroids may increase the risk of myocardial complications (68 to 86 per 1000) compared with placebo or no treatment (66 per 1000; RR 1.16, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.31; 25 studies, 14,766 participants; low-certainty evidence), and may reduce the risk of pulmonary complications (risk with corticosteroids: 61 to 77 per 1000 versus 78 per 1000 with placebo/no treatment; RR 0.88, 0.78 to 0.99; 18 studies, 13,549 participants; low-certainty evidence). Analyses of secondary endpoints showed that corticosteroids may reduce the incidence of infectious complications (risk with corticosteroids: 94 to 113 per 1000 versus 123 per 1000 with placebo/no treatment; RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.76 to 0.92; 28 studies, 14,771 participants; low-certainty evidence). Corticosteroids may result in little to no difference in incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding (risk with corticosteroids: 9 to 17 per 1000 versus 10 per 1000 with placebo/no treatment; RR 1.21, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.67; 6 studies, 12,533 participants; low-certainty evidence) and renal failure (risk with corticosteroids: 23 to 35 per 1000 versus 34 per 1000 with placebo/no treatment; RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.69 to 1.02; 13 studies, 12,799; low-certainty evidence). Corticosteroids may reduce the length of hospital stay, but the evidence is very uncertain (-0.5 days, 0.97 to 0.04 fewer days of length of hospital stay compared with placebo/no treatment; 25 studies, 1841 participants; very low-certainty evidence). The results from the two largest trials included in the review possibly skew the overall findings from the meta-analysis. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: A systematic review of trials evaluating the organ protective effects of corticosteroids in cardiac surgery demonstrated little or no treatment effect on mortality, gastrointestinal bleeding, and renal failure. There were opposing treatment effects on cardiac and pulmonary complications, with evidence that corticosteroids may increase cardiac complications but reduce pulmonary complications; however, the level of certainty for these estimates was low. There were minor benefits from corticosteroid therapy for infectious complications, but the evidence on hospital length of stay was very uncertain. The inconsistent treatment effects across different outcomes and the limited data on high-risk groups reduced the applicability of the findings. Further research should explore the role of these drugs in specific, vulnerable cohorts.

Major bleeding in patients with atrial fibrillation treated with apixaban versus warfarin in combination with amiodarone: nationwide cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Amiodarone is an established treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF) but might interfere with the metabolism of apixaban or warfarin. Therefore, the aim was to investigate the occurrence of major bleeding among patients with AF treated with amiodarone in combination with apixaban or warfarin. METHODS: Retrospective observational study using Swedish health registers. All patients with AF in the National Patient Register and the National Dispensed Drug Register with concomitant use of amiodarone and warfarin or apixaban between 1 June 2013 and 31 December 2018 were included. Propensity score matching was performed, and matched cohorts were compared using Cox proportional HRs. The primary outcome was major bleeding resulting in hospitalisation based on International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 codes. Secondary outcomes included intracranial bleeding, gastrointestinal bleeding and other bleeding. Exploratory outcomes included ischaemic stroke/systemic embolism and all-cause/cardiovascular (CV) mortality. RESULTS: A total of 12 103 patients met the inclusion criteria and 8686 patients were included after propensity score matching. Rates of major bleeding were similar in the apixaban (4.3/100 patient-years) and warfarin cohort (4.5/100 patient-years) (HR: 1.03; 95% CI: 0.76 to 1.39) during median follow-up of 4.4 months. Similar findings were observed for secondary outcomes including gastrointestinal bleeding and other bleeding, and exploratory outcomes including ischaemic stroke/systemic embolism and all-cause/CV mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients treated with amiodarone in combination with apixaban or warfarin, major bleeding and thromboembolic events were rare and with no significant difference between the treatment groups. EUPAS REGISTRY NUMBER: EUPAS43681.

Inappropriate use of proton pump inhibitors in hospitalized patients with lower gastrointestinal bleeding.

OBJECTIVES: Use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) is a mainstay in treating upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB). However, the beneficial effects of PPIs are not anticipated to extend beyond the duodenum and may actually contribute to the risk of lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB). However, in practice, PPIs are often used for inpatients with LGIB where no benefit exists. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed on inpatients during a 2-year period at an urban academic teaching hospital. Inpatients with consults to the gastroenterology (GI) service with confirmed or highly suspected LGIB were included. Outcomes regarding PPI use and the GI consulting service recommendations in these 225 patients were evaluated. RESULTS: About 37.8% of patients were started on a PPI during their inpatient course. Of those, 46% patients started on a PPI had no indication for PPI and 85% had no recommendation by the GI consultants to start a PPI. Of the 85 patients started on PPI, the GI consultants recommended stopping it in two (2.3%) patients. Lastly, 20 patients (9%) were discharged on PPI without an indication for PPI. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first study that looked at the inappropriate utilization of PPIs in patients admitted for LGIBs utilizing GI consultant recommendations. Given the large proportion of patients started on PPI without a clinical indication and continued at discharge and the paucity of GI recommendations to discontinue inappropriate use, we found that clinical care may be improved with formal GI recommendations regarding use of PPI.

High-dose proton pump inhibitor treatment is associated with a higher mortality in cirrhotic patients: A multicentre study.

BACKGROUND: Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) are frequently used in patients with cirrhosis. AIMS: This study aimed to determine whether PPI use is associated with the prognosis of cirrhotic patients. METHODS: We conducted a multicentre retrospective cohort study involving 1485 patients who had experienced hepatic encephalopathy (HE) from 7 referral centres in Korea. The primary outcome was overall survival and secondary outcomes included the development of cirrhotic complications, including recurrent HE, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP), hepatorenal syndrome (HRS), and gastrointestinal bleeding. Patients treated with PPI with a mean defined daily dose (mDDD) ≥0.5 (high-dose PPI group) were compared to those treated with PPI of an mDDD < 0.5 (No or low-dose PPI group) for each outcome. RESULTS: Among 1485 patients (median age, 61 years; male, 61%), 232 were assigned to the high-dose PPI group. High-dose PPI use was independently associated with a higher risk of death (adjusted HR [aHR] = 1.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.38-2.11, p < 0.001). This result was reproducible after propensity score-matching (PSM) (aHR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.49-2.44, p < 0.001). High-dose PPI use was an independent risk factor of recurrent HE (before PSM: aHR = 2.04, 95% CI = 1.66-2.51, p < 0.001; after PSM: aHR = 2.16, 95% CI = 1.70-2.74, p < 0.001), SBP (before PSM: aHR = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.43-2.43, p < 0.001; after PSM: aHR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.31-2.36, p = 0.002), HRS (before PSM: aHR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.02-2.15, p = 0.04; after PSM: aHR = 1.47, 95% CI = 0.95-2.28, p = 0.09), and gastrointestinal bleeding (before PSM: aHR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.12-1.90, p = 0.006; after PSM: aHR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.28-2.37, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The use of high-dose PPI was independently associated with increased risks of mortality and cirrhotic complications.

Beta-blockers and cirrhosis: Striking the right balance.

Decompensated cirrhosis is associated with a significantly increased risk of mortality. Variceal hemorrhage (VH) further increases the risk of mortality, and of future variceal bleed events. Non-selective beta-blockers (NSBBs) are effective therapy for primary and secondary prophylaxis of VH and have become the cornerstone of pharmacologic therapy in cirrhosis. Beta-blockers are associated with reduced overall mortality and GI-bleeding related mortality in patients with decompensated cirrhosis; they may also confer hemodynamically independent beneficial effects. Long-term treatment with beta-blockers may improve decompensation-free survival in compensated cirrhosis with clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH). Carvedilol more effectively lowers the hepatic vein portal gradient than traditional NSBBs and has been shown to improve survival in compensated cirrhosis. Treatment goals in compensated cirrhosis with CSPH should focus on early utilization of beta-blockers to prevent decompensation and reduce mortality.

Management of type 2 diabetes in patients with compensated liver cirrhosis: Short of evidence, plenty of potential.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in patients with compensated cirrhosis is challenging due to hypoglycemic risk, altered pharmacokinetics, and the lack of robust evidence on the risk/benefit ratio of various drugs. Suboptimal glycemic control accelerates the progression of cirrhosis, while the frequent coexistence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with T2D highlights the need for a multifactorial therapeutic approach. METHODS: A literature search was performed in Medline, Google Scholar and Scopus databases till July 2023, using relevant keywords to extract studies regarding the management of T2D in patients with compensated cirrhosis. RESULTS: Metformin, sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) are promising treatment options for patients with T2D and compensated liver cirrhosis, offering good glycemic control with minimal risk of hypoglycemia, while their pleiotropic actions confer benefits on NAFLD and body weight, and decrease cardiorenal risk. Sulfonylureas cause hypoglycemia, thus should be avoided, while in specific studies, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors have been correlated with increased risk of decompensation and variceal bleeding. Despite the benefits of thiazolidinediones in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, concerns about edema and weight gain limit their use in compensated cirrhosis. Insulin does not exert hepatotoxic effects and can be administered safely in combination with other drugs; however, the risk of hypoglycemia should be considered. CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of new hepatoprotective diabetes drugs into clinical practice, including tirzepatide, SGLT2i, and GLP-1 RA, sets the stage for future trials to investigate the ideal therapeutic regimen for people with T2D and compensated cirrhosis.

Oral anticoagulation therapy in atrial fibrillation patients at high risk of bleeding: Clinical characteristics and treatment strategies based on data from the Polish multicenter register of atrial fibrillation (POL-AF).

BACKGROUND: Despite its benefits, oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with hemorrhagic complications. AIMS: We aimed to evaluate clinical characteristics of AF patients at high risk of bleeding and the frequency of OAC use as well as identify factors that predict nonuse of OACs in these patients. METHODS: Consecutive AF patients hospitalized for urgent or planned reasons in cardiac centers were prospectively included in the registry in 2019. Patients with HAS-BLED ≥3 (high HAS-BLED group) were assumed to have a high risk of bleeding. RESULTS: Among 3598 patients enrolled in the study, 29.2% were at high risk of bleeding (44.7% female; median [Q1-Q3] age 72 [65-81], CHA2DS2-VASc score 5 [4-6], HAS-BLED 3 [3-4]). In this group, 14.5% of patients did not receive OACs, 68% received NOACs, and 17.5% VKAs. In multivariable analysis, the independent predictors of nonuse of oral OACs were as follows: creatinine level (odds ratio [OR], 1.441; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.174-1.768; P <0.001), a history of gastrointestinal bleeding (OR, 2.918; 95% CI, 1.395-6.103; P = 0.004), malignant neoplasm (OR, 3.127; 95% CI, 1.332-7.343; P = 0.009), and a history of strokes or transient ischemic attacks (OR, 0.327; 95% CI, 0.166-0.642; P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: OACs were used much less frequently in the group with a high HAS-BLED score than in the group with a low score. Independent predictors of nonuse of OACs were creatinine levels, a history of gastrointestinal bleeding, and malignant neoplasms. A history of stroke or transient ischemic attack increased the chances of receiving therapy.

Gastrointestinal bleeding in a kidney transplant recipient.

Opportunistic infections are common in transplant recipients, but gastrointestinal bleed is rarely reported to be due to opportunistic fungal infections, and hence could present as a diagnostic challenge. We report a case of disseminated histoplasmosis in a kidney transplant recipient whose initial presentation was acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding with no other symptoms. The colonoscopy showed scattered punchout circular colonic ulcers with biopsy revealing budding yeasts consistent with a diagnosis of histoplasmosis. The patient was successfully treated with a prolonged course of intravenous amphotericin B followed by oral itraconazole.

Emicizumab Prophylaxis in Patients with Severe Hemophilia A: Insights from A Resource Limited Country.

METHODS: In this prospective study, severe HA patients were recruited from January 2022 to June 2023. Inhibitor positive and inhibitor negative patients with annual bleeding rate (ABR) 8 or greater and past histories of bleeding like intra-cranial, intra-abdominal, and pseudo-tumors were included. Emicizumab loading dose was 3 mg/kg in the first 4 weeks, and the maintenance dose was started at week 5 at 6 mg/kg/month. Patients' detailed bleeding history and demographics were recorded. The five-level EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) was used to evaluate patients' HRQoL. Furthermore, Hemophilia Joint Health Score (HJHS) and Functional Independence score in Hemophilia (FISH) were applied for the assessment of joints at different time points. Results were analyzed by SPSS version 21. RESULTS: A total of 36 HA male patients with the mean age of 19.7 ± 14.42 years were recruited in the study; among them, 19 patients were inhibitor positive, while 17 were negative. Patients clinically presented with bleeding symptoms which included: hemarthrosis 95%, GI bleeding 13.8%, and bruises and gums bleeding 13.8%. Significant reduction was observed in the bleeding episodes after the therapeutic intervention, and joints assessment and Euro-Quality-of-life Visual Analog Scale showed a significant improvement in health after treatment. Similarly, there was a remarkable reduction in bleeding episodes and improved quality of life among HA patients. The ABR decreased from 53.6% episodes per year prior to treatment to 2.4% during Emicizumab therapy. Prior to initiating Emicizumab therapy, participants exhibited an average FISH score of 16 and HJHS score of 10, indicating moderate limitations due to joint-related issues. After treatment, the mean FISH score improved to 9 and HJHS score to 4 reflecting a substantial enhancement in participants' ability to perform daily activities (P < 0.057). CONCLUSION: Our results showed that HA patients on prophylactic treatment with Emicizumab were less restricted and had improved quality of life due to marked decrease in bleeding episodes which resulted in improved health and social lives. In addition, it was well tolerated, and no participant discontinued treatment because of adverse events.